all the help I can get

[mark tresch]

I was actually looking for the "big dummy" forum but I guess this will have to do. When I say I am new to this, I'm talking last night (9/13).
I recently purchased a Tascam 924 MKII for my own personal entertainment. I finally got the opportunity to spend some time working with it last night, and things did not go well.
The initial step-by-step instructions suggest the use of a microphone to get started. Well, I don't own one. Besides, initially all I wanted to do was lay down some rhythm tracks with my guitar and then play some leads.
Well I tried connecting from the "line out" on my amp to the 424. No signal. No sound. No nothing.
Okay. Next brilliant idea, plug the guitar in direct. Well, if I turn the levels all of the way up (icluding the guitar), I could hear the guitar thru the headphones, but the sound was very distorted.
So, its obvious that I'm doing something wrong (as in "big dummy"), but the manual is a little vague. Once ya'll stop laughing, any viable assistance would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

[Cooperman]

First thing to do is to go out and buy a microphone. It doesn't have to be anything flash - but preferably it should be a balanced mic so that you can plug it in the XLR port on the top of the 424. A mic is probably the most single important piece of equipment that a guitarist can buy if they want to do some homerecording. If you are just starting out, buy a mic that matches your budget.

Good luck
Paul

[mark tresch]

Thanks to my firend Mike at Old Towne Music I have found the answer to my "lack of" recording problem. On the Tascam 424 there is aseries of switches (one for each track) called "Record Function" If you are using one track and recording just one instrument, the record function just be set in "safe" mode. The manual doesn't provide that information.
As I learn new things, I'll continue to post them in casse there are others out there like me, ya know - big dummys

[The Green Hornet]

Mark T:

Welcome to the world of lackluster manuals written by engineers who think in one language and try to write English.

The organization of instructions is bizzare.

My new drum machine, Boss 770, is an example. On the first page of the manual it says, "if you have altered the factory settings here what to do to reset the box...." Man, whatta a dummy who wrote that. I haven't even taken the 770 out of the box or plugged it in and "they" are assuming I've re-programming the unit?

Welcome to the world of terrible manuals.

Green Hornet